


My dirty little secret

by Lunriphus



Series: The Mismatched's tales [3]
Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: At least mention, Crying, Cuddles, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Ghost Sex, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, Lucio (The Arcana) Is A Little Shit, Lucio is a horndog, M/M, Plague, Sick Lucio is sad, Surprise : the apprentice is the ghost one, Well Lucio want to honour the dead, my favorite tag
Language: Français
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-11
Updated: 2020-02-11
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:07:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22665997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lunriphus/pseuds/Lunriphus
Summary: « Milady,I'm afraid that the Count's state is worsening quite badly, more and more everyday. More than just a global physical weakness due to the plague, I fear that the isolation is eating his sanity away as he's now talking about a ghost visiting him while the nurses are away. He even gave it a name, talking about what he learnt from it and joking about how he's going to be the first one to bed a spirit.Mistress, we can't no longer talk about a brief delirium here, it's been weeks. I would be happy to say that it's a sign of magical enlightment but on his death bed, it can only means bad news.The end is near, Countess. At least, he doesn't seem too upset about it.S. Marigold, Head nurse. »
Relationships: Apprentice/Lucio (The Arcana), Lucio (The Arcana)/Original Character(s), Lucio (The Arcana)/Original Male Character(s)
Series: The Mismatched's tales [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1618228
Kudos: 16





	My dirty little secret

**Author's Note:**

> My very first multi-chapter fiction in english : with real chunk of plot inside.

« Milady, 

I'm afraid that the Count's state is worsening quite badly, more and more everyday. More than just a global physical weakness due to the plague, I fear that the isolation is eating his sanity away as he's now talking about a ghost visiting him while the nurses are away. He even gave it a name, talking about what he learnt from it and joking about how he's going to be the first one to bed a spirit.   
Mistress, we can't no longer talk about a brief delirium here, it's been weeks. I would be happy to say that it's a sign of magical enlightment but on his death bed, it can only means bad news.   
The end is near, Countess. At least, he doesn't seem too upset about it. 

S. Marigold, Head nurse. » 

Said note was laying around, forgotten on Nadia's desk, in a pile with all of her sisters that the Countess had yet to read. It wasn't that the health of her husband wasn't a concern of her but now that she was the only regent in Vesuvia she had little to no time to spend on herself, and even less for him. She would obviously inquire about his state when having lunch with the good doctor and Asra but right now, she was stuck handling political matters with the courtiers in regarding the plague that was spreading all around. She didn't have time to think about her husband when she had to make sure that Vesuvia wouldn't crumble under this curse.   
The note would have to lay around a bit longer. 

Lucio, for once, didn't care about the fact that his wife wasn't spending time at his side, or that Asra and Julian were avoiding him even more. Sure, he couldn't say that he didn't miss their presence but, like always, he retaliated and replaced them. At least that's how he convinced himself that he didn't need anyone right now, snuggling in his heavy blanket, shutting his eyes hard to try to forget the pounding pain in them, sign of the plague spreading. 

Tears were falling along his cheeks. Not because he was sad of some sort. Not because he was alone and slowly dying with little to no hopes to ever be cured, particulary not that his doctor seemed to prefer spending time with his wife instead of working on a cure or visiting him. And especially not because he was so scared of death itself. If he was crying, it was merely a physical reaction due to the pain. At least that was how he tried to convince himself, and failing, as he was sobbing heavily against the expensive fabric of his pillow to muffled the sound. 

The plague was something so far away, something that couldn't reach him before, so he didn't cared much about it. He didn't really think about the state of his population as long as he was healthy. Now that it was no longer the case, they had to find a remedies. Some would think that on his death bed, facing hight spirit judgement and loneliness, he would show remorse even if only to save his soul, but no. Right now he could only feel despair taking over him like the crawling red that was spreading on his skin. 

Before that his throughs could spiral even more, he feeled the weight of someone seating next to him and a hand lightly petting his hair. He tensed instinctly before the soothing voice of his ghosty compagnion calmed him down :

“ Come on sweetheart, don't do that to me. You know you're not pretty when you're crying.” Lucio could only snort lightly in between his sob, still smooched against the pillow. It did sound like a wet gargle but Llyr didn't seem to mind as he was stll scraching the greasy blond hair. Finally, the Count did look up from the expensive fabric he was crying into to face the small smile of the other man. Tears had stopped falling down, leaving red streak and even more red eyes behind them. 

“ Here we go, all pretty... ” said Llyr before pressing a quick peck on Lucio's hair, his hands moving to his cheeks to trace soothing circles on them. The count couldn't help but feel a little giddy under the ghost's minestration, leaning instinctly against his touch. It had been so long since he was pampered like this, getting told that he was beautiful. He signed soflty before getting back to his sense and whining : 

“ I'm not pretty, I'm drop dead gorgeous.” 

“ My appologies your majesty, I'm deeply ashamed of my words and my behaviour. Please let me make it to you by kissing your noble feet.” He said, his hands leaving his cheeks to bow dramaticaly, still fully seated, his nose pressed against the blanket. While Lucio reajusted himself properly, his back against the bed frame, as Llyr was getting back up again before Lucio did said : 

“ Don't get up before I'm telling you to do it. “ It was merely teasing, but he made him feel better to be in control, even if it was close to nothing especially after wailing in front of the ghost. The mere idea of the man listening to his every word, knneling in front of him made him feel all warm inside, and down there. The light warm went to a fire of his groin when Llyr did what said and put back his head where he was before, down in a somehow submissive pose.   
Lucio exhaled loudly. 

The rush of power nearly knocked him over. Since Llyr became a part of his everyday routine, he had to be the witness of multiple of Lucio's mental breakdown. The count couldn't help, and even for his usual obliviousness, to feel slighty embarassed. He grasped at every bit of control he could. 

Even his first meeting with the guy was him making a fool of himself by yelling and falling out of his bed when he saw the ghost sitting near his windows. If you'd ask him, Lucio would claimed that he didn't “ screamed like a fucking wimp. ” Such a big lie, would replied Llyr. Back then, the count looked absolutely terrified, like he saw death itself. It was no death but sure a dead one : Llyr died nearly a year ago and remained here as a ghost or something akin to it. For some reason, he couldn't leave the aisle Lucio was also stuck in. Finally, being stuck with each other made him something close to friend. 

Lucio didn't have much information about the way Llyr died as the guy didn't talk much about it but he was exhalling an odor of burning smell that the Count had learn to like. So he must had been killed by being burned alive or something as he was a magician. For once, he didn't planed to talk about it, scared that he would scared him away as he was finding his presence soothing. He wanted to keep him all for himself. Egoisticaly, because he was a selfish man, he liked even more the idea of a person who couldn't abandon him and for whom he was the whole world. Made him feel less pathetic to hung on so much on a spirit. 

That's why he was being vague when he talked about him to his nurses, and he only did it because he couldn't shut his month. He had to talk about him to make his presence more real. 

“ You can lift your head now. I think you understood the lesson. ” Llyr got back up with a knowning smile, amused and teasing in a way that was pleasing Lucio. It's been so long since anyone looked happy to see him. 

“ Thank you, Ô my master. How could I thank you for your indulgence ? What coud I do to repay your infinite kindess.” 

“ Let me fuck you ? Or you could fuck me ? ”

“ Well, at least they can't say that you're not willing to honour the dead.” The ghost looked nothing but amused, obviously not taking Lucio's request seriously. He was maybe corporeal enough to achieve such an act but the whole idea was kinda weird. “ But no, definetely not doing it.” 

“ It should he an honour to bed me ! I'm the Count of Vesuvia ! Army's supreme commander ! Karnassos' hero ! best lay around here and a gorgeous being if I say so myself ! ” Boasted loudly the Count before choking on a coughting fit, supporting himself on Llyr's shoulder while the latter was doing soothing circle on his back while encouraging him to take deep breath. 

It did take a few minutes for the Count to take his breath back before falling back on his pillows, each respiration a struggle. The ghost kept his hands on him, knowing how Lucio was touch starved, lightly feathery touch on his forehead, hair or on the plexus solar area. He was so fustrated by his lack of magic in this form, he would love nothing more than to relieved Lucio from the pain he was but since his death he couldn't do much more than supporting him. 

It reminded him of when he was aline, when he was just an apprentice trying to save as much people as he could from the plague. He didn't save much but at least they died the most peacefully he could achieve. He would love to say that he was here until the end, motivated only by self-sacrificing generosity but it would be such a lie. Sure, he was here until the end but the reason of his presence was completely different from just plain kindness. 

He was sure his time on earth after his death was a harsh punishment for trying multiple times to flee during the plague outbreak. He would face the port, thinking about how much he missed travelling, discovering new thing, practicing his magic with pleasure instead of giving the released of death to the victims who asked for it. He missed the smell of humid weather while he wandered around the forest, he missed the warm sand smell of Nopal, the freshly baked goods when it was early around the market. He wanted to go so hard. 

But everytime he caught himself back, guilt eating his guts and leaving him nauseous. He was thinking of Julian he was leaving behind, of his face when he would discover that Llyr had abandon him, of the loneliness he was letting him drown in. He came back, every time, smiling sweetly as Julian would inquire about his errand. Every time he would found a tale to tell to explain why he did leave so early. 

Then, the flame, roaring in those metal caskets, like the scream of the victims would follow him on his death bed. The smell of ash overwhelming his senses.

Coming back to his sense, always shaky when the memories would flood his mind, he leaned into Lucio personnal space to hug him tightly. Even if the Count didn't notice his trouble, he would be the last to refuse to cuddle. Llyr felt a bit bad to take advantage of Lucio's loneliness to get a little bit of tenderness but couldn't help.

The bed was so big that Lucio didn't even need to move for Llyr to be able to take place next to him. The Count's head find his chest, simply enjoying the sensation of a warm body against his, the idea of kinky ghostly sex partially forgotten for now. Llyr's hand went back to Lucio's hair while he hummed a song of his birthplace, a village that he would most likely never see again.

At least, he was not alone and Lucio was not the worst person to hang around. Sure, he was brash, noisy and self-centered. Sure, his tales were a bit worrying and it seemed that he killed quite a lot of people during his time as a mercenary or during the wars he was involved in as the count and seemed proud of it. 

But at least, he looked cute when he was sleeping.

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to help me practice my english, just drop by on my tumblr to request something or in the comment.  
> Don't forget to kudos and comment !


End file.
